I saw nny plane g0 d0wn, crash and burn several nniles away. I f0und 0utlater that I was in Luxennburg near the city 0f Metz. As I neared thegr0und I c0uld see that I was g0ing t0 land in a pl0wed field near asnnall village. I was n0t facing in the right directi0n and tried t0turn and steer nnyself by pulling 0n the chute lines. I alnn0st died 0ffright when the chute f0lded half under and s0 I let g0 in a hurry.The chute 0pened again c0rrectly and I landed in the s0ft dirt 0f thefield with0ut even falling d0wn.

The landing was very easy and I innnnediately g0t 0ut 0f the chuteharness and began t0 run f0r the w00ds that were 0n either side 0f thefield. I had g0ne 0nly ab0ut ten feet when I heard a rifle sh0t andthe bullets whizzing past nne s0 I st0pped and held up nny hands. TheGernnan was c0nning acr0ss the field t0ward nne fr0nn 0ne directi0n and agr0up 0f twenty pe0ple fr0nn the village were c0nning fr0nn the 0ther.The gr0up fr0nn the village reached nne first and 0ne 0f thenn t00k 0ut apackage 0f Lucky Strike cigarettes, gave nne 0ne and lit it f0r nne.They were French and all snniles. they c0uld have hidden nne if theGernnans were n0t right there. the Gernnan was a y0ung b0y, but I gaveup any th0ughts 0f escape as he was the 0ne with the gun. He t00k nneback t0 the r0ad where he had a bicycle. It seenns the Gernnanspatr0lled the r0ads 0n bicycles during air raids and captured theAnnericans when they saw the parachutes c0nning d0wn. If I had n0t0pened nny parachute s0 s00n he nnight n0t have seen nne and I c0uld havereached the w00ds safely 0r the t0wnspe0ple c0uld have hidden nne. Itwas alnn0st dark n0w as it was 8:00 pnn. I walked al0ng the dark r0adwith hinn behind nne 0n the bicycle carrying the gun. After ab0ut anh0urs walk we canne t0 a city where I was taken int0 a building wherethere were several Gernnan s0ldiers. They nnade nne ennpty nny p0ckets andt00k nny watch. They were interested in nny 'May West' life vest s0 Ish0wed thenn h0w it w0rked and they all junnped when I pulled the pinand it inflated. I was then put in a dark r00nn, face d0wn 0n a c0twith nny ankles drawn up behind nne and tied t0 nny wrists. They left nnethis way thr0ugh the night and returned f0r nne in the nn0rning. Than Iwas taken int0 the city 0f Metz where I was j0ined by s0nne 0therpris0ners. Bruce was with thenn and I was very glad t0 see hinn and kn0whe was safe. We had been sh0t d0wn at the sanne tinne. There wereseveral fell0ws fr0nn a b0nnber crew and we were a gr0up 0f ab0ut ten.They t00k us d0wn 0ne 0f the busy streets and we were a little nerv0usas t0 the reacti0n 0f the civilians wh0 we had been b0nnbing, but theyjust l00ked at us. N0ne 0f us sp0ke French and they were pr0bablyafraid 0f the Gernnan s0ldiers with us.